@article {4156, title = {Aeolian material transport and its role in landscape connectivity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface}, volume = {123}, year = {2018}, month = {12/2018}, pages = {3323 - 3337}, abstract = {

Arid regions, particularly polar and alpine desert environments, have diminished landscape connectivity compared to temperate regions due to limited and/or seasonal hydrological processes. For these environments, aeolian processes play a particularly important role in landscape evolution and biotic community vitality through nutrient and solute additions. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) are the largest ice-free area in Antarctica and are potentially a major source of aeolian material for the continent. From this region, samples were collected at five heights (~5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 cm) above the surface seasonally for 2013 through 2015 from Alatna Valley, Victoria Valley, Miers Valley, and Taylor Valley (Taylor Glacier, East Lake Bonney, F6 (Lake Fryxell), and Explorer\’s Cove). Despite significant geological separation and varying glacial histories, low-elevation and coastal sites had similar major ion chemistries, as did high-elevation and inland locations. This locational clustering of compositions was also evident in scanning electron microscopy images and principal component analyses, particularly for samples collected at ~100 cm above the surface. Compared to published soil literature, aeolian material in Taylor Valley demonstrates a primarily down-valley transport of material toward the coast. Soluble N:P ratios in the aeolian material reflect relative nutrient enrichments seen in MDV soils and lakes, where younger, coastal soils are relatively N depleted, while older, up-valley soils are relatively P depleted. The aeolian transport of materials, including water-soluble nutrients, is an important vector of connectivity within the MDV and provides a mechanism to help \“homogenize\” the geochemistry of both soil and aquatic ecosystems.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1029/2017JF004589}, url = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2017JF004589}, author = {Melisa A. Diaz and Byron Adams and Kathleen A. Welch and Sue Welch and Opiyo, Stephen O. and Khan, Alia L. and Diane M. McKnight and Craig S Cary and W. Berry Lyons} } @article {3306, title = {Antarctic streams as a potential source of iron for the Southern Ocean: Figure 1.}, journal = {Geology}, volume = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {11/2016}, pages = {1003 - 1006}, chapter = {1003}, abstract = {

Due to iron\’s role in oceanic primary production, there has been great interest in quantifying the importance of Fe in regions where concentrations are very low and macronutrients, nitrate and phosphate, are available. Measurements of filterable (i.e., \<0.4 μm) Fe concentrations in streams from Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, suggest that coastal-zone stream Fe input to the Southern Ocean could potentially play an important role in primary production in nearshore regions. Filterable Fe (fFe) data from streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys were used to represent glacier meltwater that flows through ice-free landscape with the potential of transporting Fe to the Antarctic coastal zone. Estimates of potential fFe flux to the Antarctic Peninsula region using our mean fFe concentration of 10.6 \µg L\–1\ combined with an estimate of ice-free area for the Antarctic Peninsula result in an fFe flux of 1.2 \× 107\ g yr\–1. Although small compared to iceberg and aeolian Fe fluxes, future stream input to the Southern Ocean could increase due to glacier retreat and\ 

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G36989.1}, url = {http://geology.gsapubs.org/lookup/doi/10.1130/G36989.1http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/lookup/doi/10.1130/G36989.1}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Dailey, Kelsey R. and Kathleen A. Welch and Deuerling, Kelly M. and Sue Welch and Diane M. McKnight} } @article {1259, title = {The aeolian flux of calcium, chloride and nitrate to the McMurdo Dry Valleys landscape: Evidence from snow pit analysis}, journal = {Antarctic Science}, volume = {18}, year = {2006}, pages = {497-505}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Witherow, R and Bertler, N and Kathleen A. Welch and W. Berry Lyons and Paul A. Mayewski and Sneed, S and Thomas H. Nylen and Handley, M and Andrew G Fountain} } @inbook {1260, title = {Antarctic lake systems and climate change}, booktitle = {Trends in Antarctic Terrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems: Antarctica as a Global Indicator}, year = {2006}, publisher = {S}, organization = {S}, address = {Dordrecht, The Netherlands}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Johanna Laybourn-Parry and Kathleen A. Welch and John C. Priscu}, editor = {D.M. Bergstrom and Peter Convey and A.H.L. Huiskes} }